LUTHER SISSON, OF 
EASTON, MASSACHU 
SETTS, HIS ANCESTRY 
AND DESCENDANTS.-' 



LUTHER SISSON 



OF EASTON, MASS. 



His Ancestry & Descendants 



Compiled and Printed by 

Arthur A. Wood, Slocum, R. I. 

MCMIX 



■^ 



d> 



^y 



/£^ ., 



r^'-'r,0'\ 



yO: 



LUTHER SISSON OF EASTON, MASS. 



The name of Sisson is probably derived from 
Soissons, a province of France. Doubtless the pro- 
genitors of the English descendants of the name 
came to Britain with William of Normandy, 

In the Poll-tax Returns of Howdenshire, (York- 
shire), for the year 1379 the following names are 
found: Johannes Sisson, Robertus Cisson, Henri- 
cus Sisson, Thomas Cysson, and William Cisson. 

Canon Bardsley in his "Dictionary of English 
& Welsh Surnames" states: "Sisson, 'the son of 
Cecilia.' " An English genealogist concludes that 
in one instance the name is derived from Syston, 



'P 



a populous village in Leicestershire. But, the 
derivation of the village name may lead again to 
the French origin. These English Sissons, as a 
rule, are usually non-conformists and engaged in 
commerce. 

The first record, yet found, of the name in the 
United States is at Portsmouth, Rhode Island. On 
May 17, 1653 Richard Sisson was admitted a free- 
man of the town. July 6, 1668 he bought 1-300 
part of Conanicut and Dutch Islands. June 5, 
1667 he appears as a resident of Dartmouth, Mass., 
being drawn as a grand juryman. 

Oct. 18, 1683 he made his will in which he gives 
to son James "all housing and land in Dartmonth." 
"To son George £5, in money." "To son John 
all house and land in Portsmouth." 

From a deposition made in 1668 we learn that he 
was born in 1608. He died in 1684. The invent- 
ory of his estate amounted to £600, 19s, itemized 
as follows : 



3 

House and lands at Dartmouth, £240 

House and lands at Rhode Island, £60 

Cattle and horse kind, £113, 15s. 

Swine, £30 

Sheep, £14, 10s 

Beds, etc., £50 

New cloth, wool yarn, hemp and flax, £13 

One Indian servant, £10 ; Negro servant, £28 

Money, £12 

From these meagre records we learn but little of 
the personality of the man who was the ancestor 
of most of those bearing the name of Sisson in the 
United States. There are some of the name de- 
scended from a Virginian stock, but later discov- 
eries may lead to the Portsmouth settlement, as it 
is known that some of this family went south and 
all trace of the later generations has been lost. 

Richard Sisson appears to have been a well-to- 
do farmer, possessing estates in Portsmouth and 
Dartmouth. At the time of his death his oldest 



> 



son, George was a prosperous farmer with a large 
family and had had his share of his father's estate, 
which accounts for the small legacy in the elder 
Sisson's will. 

The earlier generations of the Sissons were gen- 
erally farmers and members of the Quaker sect. 
The name is found among the patriot soldiers of 
the revolutionary army and we regret to note a few 
well deserved the name of tory and had their es- 
tates confiscated. In the ranks of the Union army 
the Sisson name was borne with honor and courage. 

Richard Sisson's wife was named Mary. She 
died in 1692. This is all we know of the first New 
England mother of our tribe. 

The six children of Richard^ and Mary Sisson 
were — George, Elizabeth, James, John, Anne, and 
]\Iary. 

George^ Sisson, ( Richard'^ ) was born in 1644, 
probably in England, married, 1667, Aug. 1, to 
Sarah, daughter of Thomas Lawton of Portsmouth, 



R. I. ; and died, 1718, Sept. 7. He was a farmer 
and served as a constable in 1687; as Deputy in 
1690, 1702-5-7 ; and Justice of the Peace in 1703. 
His will, niade August, 1718, gives to son George 
"the farm now possesed by him at Touisset Neck, 
Swansey." The inventory of his estate amounted 
to £451, 18s 8d. as follows: 

Wearing apparel, £8, lis; Armor, £2 ; Plate, ^ 

£8, 12s, 8d ; Silver money, £13, 12s, 6d ; Bills of 
Public Credit, £69, 8s, 6d ; Cows, steers, horses, 
93 sheep, }^ of 4 swine, geese, turkeys, fowls, and 
household furniture. 

The homestead farm was given to Richard^ the 
eldest son, and has descended to the present time 
from father to son. It lies in the town of Ports- 
mouth, R. I., on Rhode Island. 

The children of George^ and Sarah ( Lawton ) 
Sisson were : 

p:iizabeth, b. 1669 Ruth, b. 1680 

Mary, b. 1670 George 



Ann, b. 1672 Abigail, b. 1685 

Hope, b. 1674 Thomas, b. 1686 

Richard, b. 1676 John, b. 1688 

James, b. 1690 

George*^ Siason, (Richard^, George^) born March 

23, 1683; married (1) Mercy ; married (2) 

Oct. 11, 1721 at Swanzey, Mass., Lydia, daugh- 
ter of Hugh Jr. and Deborah (Buckland) Cole of 
Swanzey. Their children were : 

Elizabeth, b. 1709; m. Jeremiah Brown 

Jane, m. Hugh Cole 

Mary, m. Amos Daggett 

Hopestill, b. 1713 ; m. John Fones 

George, b. 1715 ; m. Drusilla Cole 

James, b. 1717 

Benjamin, b. 1722 

John 

Mercy, b. 1725; m. Luther 

Gilbert, b. 1730; m. Mary Sisson 

Lydia, b. 1731 



Gideon, b. 1733; m. Abigail Chase 

John* Sisson, (Richard^, George\ George^) mar- 
ried July 21, 1751, at Swanzey, Mary Thurber. 
His children were : 
-Phebe, b. 1751 

George, b. 1753; m. Hannah (Wall) Smith 

Jarvis, b. 1766 John, b. 1758 ^ 

Caleb, b. 1760 P:sek 

Jane, b. 1764; m. Aaron Luther 
Gardiner, b. 1767; m. Esther Woodmaneee 
Fones, b. 1769. Mary, b. 1771. Lydia, b. 1774 

Esek^ Sisson, {Rich^., Geo'^., Geo^., John*) was 

born Aug. 11, 1762; married at Swanzey, Mass., 

June 30, 1790 Sabra Luther. His children were: 

'Luther, b. 1797 

Rebecca Luther, b. 1805, Feb. 14; m. Charles 

H. Salisbury 
Elizabeth Hunter 
Philip Allen, b. 1806, Dec. 28 



8 

,Tohn 

Thomas, m. Elmira Kelley 
Fones 
Esek Sisson was on roll of C"ol. Elliot's Reg. 1776. 

Luther*' Sisson, ( RichK, Geo"^., Geo^., Jolm\ 
Esek^) was born in Swanzey, Mass., Feb. 8, 1797; 
married Jan. 27, 1827, Hannah, daughter of Gid- 
eon and Hannah (Small) Church. She was born at 
Harwich, Mass., Oct. 22, 1808 and died atEaston, 
Mass.. April 13, 1887. Luther Sisson died at 
Easton, April 25, 1868. He was machinist, an 
occupation that has been followed with honor and 
profit by many branches of the Sisson tribe. An 
aptitude for mechanical pursuits seems to be an in- 
heritance in the New England lines of the family. 
Luther and Hannah were the parents of eight chil- 
dren, most of them residing in Easton ; where, once 
a year, on Labor Day, the descendants of Luther 
are welcomed to a family reunion. 

The children of Luther are : 



1. 


John H. T. 


5. 


Jonathan T. 


2. 


Luther S. 


6. 


Sarah M. 


3. 


Hannah C. 


7. 


Eleanor J. 


4. 


Asa C. 


8. 


Henry F. 



1 . John Humphrey Thompson" Sisson was born 
in Dorchester, Mass., Jan. 26, 1828 ; married, Jan. 
20, 1850, Lydia Ann, daughter of Thaddeus and 
Eliza(P:nni8) Williams, born Oct. 30, 1832. He 
was a machinist, and resided at Easton. He died, 
June 13, 1864. His children are : 

Frank Henry, b. 1850, Dec, 28; m. Eliza A. 
Hobart, residence Whitinsville, Mass. 

John Davis, b. 1852, Feb. 3 ; d. in infancy 

Luther Clifford, b. 1854, Mar. 1 ; d. in infancy 

, Alice Amelia, b. 1855, Mar. 17 ; d. ae 4y., Imo. 

Charles Clifford, b. 1860, Mar. 10; m. Nellie M. 
Freeman, res. Whitinsville. 

Elmer Elwood, b. 1863, Apr. 2S; d. in infancy 



10 

2. Luther Sabra^ Sisson, born in Dorchester, 
Dec. 29, 1829 ; married, Nov. 6, 1856, Sarah Ma- 
ria, daughter of James and Adelaide (Greene) 

Humphrey, born Jan. 9, 1839; d. Dec. 10, 1903. 
He is a machinist, residence, E^aston. One child : 
Lennette Greene, b. 1861, May 2; m, George 
T. Allen, res. AVorcester Mass. 

3. Hannah Church'' Sisson, was born in Boston, 
Jan. 10, 1832; married May, 1853 George Wil- 
Hams who died Mar. 9, 1859. Her children were: 

Ira Luther, b. 1855, Mar. 18; d. ae 7 years 
Luella Frances, b. 1859, June 27 

4. Asa Church'' Sisson, born in Easton, June 11 
1834; married, Oct. 13, 1854, Ellen F. daughter 
of Henry and Amanda (Shaw) Randall, born June 
2,1838. He is a machinist, residence, Easton. 

Children : 

Carrie Ella, b. 1856, Nov. 22; m. Frank C. 
Wade, res. Easton. 



11 

Herbert Church, b. 1858, June 9 ; m. Marian 

Leonard. 
Alfred Asa, b. 1800, Dec. 2 ; m. Marian Wilber. 

5. Jonathan Thomas' Sisson, born in Easton, 
June 18, 1836; married, Nov. 26, 1866, Alomie 
Frances , daughter of Ephraim and Mary (Collins) 
Ghen, born June 25, IS-iS. Residence, Easton. 

Children : 

Arthur Clarence, b. 1868, Jan. 1 ; m. Mary B. 

Cliffe, res. Pawtucket, R. I. 
Daisy D., b. 1870, Mar. 26 ; d. infant. 
Gertrude June, b. 1881, July 18 ; m. Ernest T. 

Walker. 
Edith Alomie, b. 1884, Feb. 12. 

6. Sarah Malinda" Sisson, born in Easton May 
27, 1838; married April 5, 1855, Orrin B. Swift, 
born 1832, Feb. 17; died, 1870, Jan 26. Children: 

Ada Lester, b. 1856, Mar. 26 
Henry Rosco, b. 1859, May 27 



12 

Lizzie p:tta, b. 1861, Mar. 25 

Howard O. L., b. 1863, June 25 

Edward Bradford, b. 1865, July 27 

Freddie, b, " " " d. ae 1 year. 

Luther Everett, b. 1866, Nov. 28 

Mary Lottie, b. 1870, June 11 

7. Eleanor Jones" Sisson, born Nov. 1, 1841, 
at Easton ; married, Nov. 3, 1869, Norman A., son 
of Ephraim and Mary (Collins) Ghen, born 1847, 
Aug 31. Children: 

Minnie Collins, b. 1870, June 16 

Edith Sisson, b. 1873, Mar. 19: d. infancy 

Lena Church, b. 1875, April 26; m. Samuel 

Cheatham. 
Elmer Russell, b. 1882, Feb. 7 

8. Henry Fones'' Sisson, born in P^aston, Oct. 
31,1843; married (1) Jan. 19, 1869, Nellie P 
Boynton, She died July 2, 1884; married (2) Cora 
Post. Residence, Yonkers, N. Y. Draughtsman. 



13 

Children : 

Walter Manley, b. 1870, Aug. 20 

Ethel Boynton, b. 1877, Feb. 18 

Rebecca Luther*^ Sisson, {Rich^., Geo^.^ Geo^., 
John*, Esek^), was born Feb. 14, 1805; married 
at Warren, R. I., Sept. 27, 1827, to Chas. H. son 
of Daniel and Mary( ) Salisbury of Baltimore, 
Md., born Nov. 8, 1804. She died May 17, 1861. 

Children : 6^ 

Mary Hall, b. 1828, Nov. 20 

William H. b. 1831, Sept. 17 

Sarah Ann, m. Fuller 

Eliza Cole, b. 1836 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



021 392 146 



